London: Christmas Party Lunch Cruise

London’s Christmas lights and landmarks look best from the Thames, and this cruise gives you a festive setting for both. You’ll sail from Westminster toward Canary Wharf, eat a traditional three-course lunch, and have time on the upper deck for photos of Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and The Shard.

I like the welcome glass of sparkling wine and the live vocalist, who helps turn lunch into a proper party. I also like the hot, generous Christmas meal, especially if you want a celebration without planning a restaurant, entertainment, and river views separately. The main drawback is the shared bench-style table for 10, which can make moving around or chatting with your own group awkward.

Key points to know before booking

• Westminster to Canary Wharf: The boat follows a classic central London stretch of the Thames, passing major sights before returning to Westminster Pier.
• A full Christmas meal: Expect salmon and prawns, roast turkey with traditional trimmings, and a festive chocolate dessert.
• Live music and dancing: The vocalist provides festive songs, and the dance floor can become the heart of the boat.
• Shared tables: Groups smaller than 10 sit with other diners at tables placed close together.
• Smart-casual dress: Festive clothing fits the mood, but you do not need formal evening wear.
• Adults only: This cruise is for people aged 18 and over.

A Christmas party with London outside the window

The key thing to understand is that this is a party cruise with sightseeing, not a guided tour of London. The Thames gives you an excellent moving view of the city, but the focus is lunch, music, dancing, and seasonal company.

You board at Westminster Pier and receive a glass of sparkling wine as the boat leaves. That small welcome matters. It starts the afternoon as a celebration rather than an ordinary meal on a boat.

The route heads east toward Canary Wharf, passing some of London’s best-known sights. You can stay inside for lunch and music, then head to the upper deck for photographs. The boat returns to Westminster after three hours, so you get a complete outing without needing to arrange transport between several Christmas activities.

I would book this for a festive get-together, office lunch, adult birthday, or a London weekend with friends. If your main goal is serious sightseeing, choose a dedicated Thames sightseeing cruise instead. Here, the landmarks are part of the scenery, not the main event.

What the three-hour route gives you

Leaving from Westminster Pier

The meeting point is City Cruises Westminster Pier on Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2JH. Staff are available at the pier to direct you to the correct boarding point.

Westminster is a useful starting place because the cruise begins close to several major central London sights. Once on board, you do not need to keep checking a map or changing trains. The river does the work while you settle in with your drink.

The first part of the trip is likely to feel more like a traditional sightseeing ride. Keep your camera ready, but do not expect a stop at each landmark. The boat passes the sights rather than docking beside them.

Passing the London Eye

The London Eye is one of the most recognizable sights along the river. From the boat, you see its huge circular frame from a lower, more open viewpoint than you get from the South Bank.

The cruise does not stop here, so this is a quick photo opportunity. If you want a clear picture, the upper deck is the better place to try. Weather and boat position will affect your view, so treat this as a scenic moment rather than a guaranteed close-up.

The Shard from the Thames

The Shard rises sharply above the south bank and gives the route a modern London marker. Its glassy shape is easy to spot as the boat continues east.

This is another pass-by sight, with no commentary or scheduled photo stop described. You can enjoy it between courses or go upstairs when the music allows. The view works especially well as part of a wider city scene, with the river in front and London’s buildings behind it.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London brings a very different mood to the route. Its stone walls and riverside position make it one of the most atmospheric sights from the water.

You will pass it rather than go ashore, so do not book this cruise as a substitute for a visit inside the Tower. Still, seeing the complex from the Thames gives you a useful sense of its strategic position beside the river.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is the star photo stop for many people on this route. Its twin towers and high walkway are easy to recognize, and the boat gives you a clean river-level angle.

Head to the upper deck with your friends if you want group pictures. This is one of the best moments to step away from the table, though the close seating means you may need to plan your movement around meal service and the people beside you.

Reaching Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf marks the eastern end of the sailing. Its tall office towers create a sharp contrast with the older buildings around Westminster and the Tower.

There is no scheduled visit ashore. The boat simply reaches this part of the Thames before turning back toward Westminster. That makes the route feel complete without adding a long transfer or extra walking.

The three-course Christmas lunch

The meal begins with salmon and prawns, followed by traditional roast turkey with the usual trimmings. Dessert is a festive chocolate course, and tea or coffee is included.

This is a familiar Christmas menu, which is exactly the point. You are not choosing from a long restaurant menu or trying to balance different tastes in your group. The meal is designed to feel seasonal, filling, and straightforward.

The strongest practical advantage is that lunch arrives as part of the cruise. You can look out at London while eating, then move upstairs for photographs or stay with the music. One direct account described the food as hot, plentiful, and good quality, which is reassuring for anyone paying a premium for a seasonal meal on the river.

The meal does not include extra drinks beyond the welcome sparkling wine, tea, and coffee. There is a licensed bar, but drinks cost extra. Keep that in mind when comparing the $101 price with an ordinary Christmas lunch. The food, boat ride, entertainment, and setting are bundled together, while wine and other bar purchases can raise your final spend.

One useful bit of advice: decide in advance how much you want to spend at the bar. A Christmas cruise can feel inexpensive at the booking stage, then become less so when everyone adds drinks. One diner specifically found the wine expensive, and another noted that drink orders could be slower while staff were serving meals.

Music, dancing, and the party atmosphere

A live vocalist provides festive music during the cruise. The entertainment is not background music only. The singer can turn the dining room into a social party, and dancing is part of the experience.

The atmosphere may depend on the number of people on board and how willing they are to join in. On a lively sailing, the dance floor can fill quickly and stay busy for much of the trip. One especially successful outing began slowly until two people got up to dance, after which the floor filled. That tells you something useful: the mood is partly created by the people on board.

A quieter sailing is also possible. With fewer diners, the boat may feel spacious but the party spirit can be softer. That is not necessarily a bad thing if you prefer conversation and a calmer meal. It is worth knowing that the energy is not guaranteed in the way it would be at a fixed theatrical show.

The singer has received particularly warm praise, with one direct account describing the vocalist as talented and another highlighting the strong voice. If live music is important to you, this is one of the better reasons to choose this cruise over a standard lunch boat.

Shared tables and the social side

Tables seat 10, and groups smaller than 10 share with other people. The tables are close together, and seating is described as bench-style.

That layout has two effects. First, it encourages a communal Christmas party atmosphere. You are not sealed away at a private table, and the shared arrangement may help a small group meet other people.

Second, it limits freedom of movement. If you are seated in the middle of a bench, getting up may mean asking several people to slide along. One diner found that this made it harder to chat with different members of their own group during the sailing.

Think carefully about your group. A couple or small group that enjoys social dining may find the arrangement part of the fun. A group that wants a private table, easy access to the bar, or lots of movement should expect some compromise.

The close tables also make the boat feel more like a Christmas party than a formal restaurant. Smart-casual or festive clothing is required, so a Christmas jumper, seasonal dress, or neat evening outfit fits better than casual sightseeing clothes.

Is $101 a fair price?

At $101 per person, this is not a cheap lunch. You are paying for three hours on the Thames, a welcome sparkling wine, a three-course festive meal, tea or coffee, live vocal music, dancing, and the setting of a moving boat.

The value is strongest when you would otherwise pay separately for a Christmas meal and entertainment. You also save yourself the effort of booking a restaurant and finding a second activity afterward. The cruise gives you one complete afternoon with a clear start and finish.

The value is weaker if you mainly want landmark views. The boat passes the London Eye, The Shard, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf, but it does not stop at them or provide a detailed sightseeing presentation. In that case, part of the price goes toward the meal and entertainment you may not care about.

Extra drinks are the main budget warning. The bar is licensed, but those purchases are not included. If you stick with the included welcome drink, tea, and coffee, the price is easier to assess. If you plan to buy wine throughout the afternoon, allow more room in your budget.

Who will enjoy this cruise most?

I would recommend it to adults who want a festive social event with London views. It suits groups celebrating Christmas, friends arranging a seasonal lunch, and visitors who want an easy party afternoon rather than a packed sightseeing schedule.

It can also work well for people who enjoy live singing and dancing but do not want to organize entertainment themselves. The food is traditional and familiar, which helps when you are booking for a mixed group.

I would be more cautious if you dislike shared seating, need frequent access to your seat, or want a quiet meal. I would also choose another Thames experience if you want historical facts, guided commentary, or time inside the Tower of London.

Children under 18 cannot join, so this is strictly an adult outing. The smart-casual dress code also makes it less suitable for anyone hoping to board straight from a casual day of sightseeing without changing.

Timing, boarding, and useful planning tips

The cruise lasts three hours, but the exact starting time depends on availability. Check the departure time carefully before booking and leave enough time to reach Westminster Pier.

Staff at the pier direct you to the correct boarding point. The location is on Victoria Embankment, so it is easy to build the cruise into a central London day, but the key practical detail is arriving ready to board rather than treating the pier as a casual meeting area.

Wear something festive but comfortable. You will be sitting for a meal, walking to the upper deck for photographs, and possibly dancing. Shoes that work for both dining and moving around the boat make sense.

Bring a phone or camera with enough battery for the upper deck. The best photos are likely to come during the pass-by moments at Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the London Eye. The river view changes quickly, so keep your camera ready instead of waiting for a formal announcement.

The activity is non-refundable, so check the date, age requirement, departure time, and group size before paying. Smaller groups should also be comfortable sharing a table of 10.

Should you book the Christmas Party Lunch Cruise?

Book it if you want a ready-made adult Christmas party with a traditional meal, live music, dancing, and a broad view of central London from the Thames. The hot and plentiful food, strong vocalist, and chance for the dance floor to become lively are the main strengths.

Think twice if your priority is detailed sightseeing, quiet dining, private seating, or low drink costs. The $101 fare makes the most sense when you value the whole package, not just the boat ride.

For a festive afternoon with minimal planning, I think this is a good choice. Go expecting a shared-table party with landmark views, not a guided London tour served with lunch.

FAQ

Where does the Christmas lunch cruise depart from?

It departs from City Cruises Westminster Pier, Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2JH. Staff at the pier direct you to the correct boarding point.

How long does the cruise last?

The cruise lasts three hours.

What landmarks does the boat pass?

The route passes the London Eye, The Shard, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf before returning to Westminster Pier.

What food is included?

The festive three-course meal includes a salmon and prawn starter, roast turkey with traditional trimmings, and a festive chocolate dessert.

Are drinks included?

You receive a welcome glass of sparkling wine, plus tea and coffee. Additional drinks from the licensed bar are not included.

Is there live entertainment?

Yes. A live vocalist performs festive music, and dancing is part of the experience.

Can I sit at a private table?

Bookings of fewer than 10 share a table. Tables seat 10 and are placed close together.

What should I wear?

The required dress code is smart-casual or festive dress.

Can children join the cruise?

No. The cruise is not suitable for children under 18.